Australian Open Breaks Attendance Records Despite Crowd Behaviour Concerns

The Australian Open has broken attendance records with over 1.1 million spectators, but crowd behaviour concerns have led organisers to consider capping attendance numbers in future events.

Djokovic to Return to Australian Open, Says Tournament Director

Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley has expressed confidence that Novak Djokovic will return to the season-opening Grand Slam next year. Djokovic's latest challenge at Melbourne Park came to an end in the semi-finals due to a hamstring injury, which forced him to retire after losing the opening set to Alexander Zverev on Friday. The 37-year-old Serb, who has won 10 titles at Melbourne Park and is chasing a record 25th Grand Slam crown, sustained the injury in his quarter-final win over Carlos Alcaraz.

Despite some speculation that Djokovic may not return to the Australian Open, Tiley is adamant that the Serbian tennis star will be back. “There was some talk about Novak (not coming back here) – Novak will return,” Tiley told Australian media on Monday. Tiley revealed that Djokovic would be departing Melbourne on Monday, reunited with his family, while his team had left on Friday. Tiley is looking forward to catching up with Djokovic in the near future, saying, “We'll see Novak back and I look forward to catching up with him in the next couple of weeks.”

Most attended AO ever! Here’s a remix of what happened at the Happy Slam 💫 https://t.co/NtrrbhR5GS

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 27, 2025

Djokovic took to social media to address his critics, posting photos of an MRI scan of his injury the day after his exit from the tournament. Tiley defended Djokovic's efforts to participate in the semi-final, despite his injury. “He had a good warm-up that morning and his team were confident that he'd be able to get out there and play,” Tiley said. Tiley praised Djokovic's dedication to preparation, saying, “I haven't met a player that does as much pre-preparation and has as big a focus on it as Novak does, and he would do everything he possibly can to get on the court.”

Australian Open Breaks Attendance Records, Crowd Behaviour Raises Concerns

The Australian Open has concluded its latest edition, with Jannik Sinner and Madison Keys emerging as the men's and women's champions, respectively. The tournament saw a record-breaking attendance, with over 1.1 million spectators flocking to Melbourne Park over the two-week period. However, the event was not without its challenges, as crowd behaviour made headlines on several occasions.

Australian Open chief Craig Tiley acknowledged the issues with crowd behaviour and hinted that organisers might consider capping attendance numbers in future events if necessary. “The objective is, right from the beginning, is that the quality of the experience is the most important thing,” Tiley stated. Despite the concerns, Tiley noted that customer satisfaction scores were higher than the previous year, with initial reports indicating a positive experience for attendees.

Tiley emphasized the importance of maintaining a high-quality experience for spectators, suggesting that organisers would take steps to address any issues that might arise. “If ever there becomes a moment where we're getting to a number that's not satisfactory for that experience, we'll make a change,” he said, leaving the door open for potential changes to attendance policies in future events.